Sage Foundation for Health Holds 4th Annual Red Ball Gala

By Myra Richman

On Saturday, May 10th, 2008, guests were all seeing red at the Sage Foundation for Health 4th Annual Red Ball at the Westin Kierland Resort in honor of thousands of women, children and men in Phoenix who have no financial means for medical care.

Dudley Halpe, M.D. received the Humanitarian Award for his decades of service at Gift of Life.  Gift of Life provides free medical services to children suffering from heart disease and other similar or allied diseases, regardless of race, gender, creed or national origin, who would otherwise lack access to such services.

As in previous years, the silent and live auction items were outstanding, and included:  4 Days/3 Night Sea of Cortez Vacation, Create Your Own Wine Cellar, Luxury Cabo Beach Villa, Baja Motorcycle Adventure, Wine Tasting at Villa L'Amore and a Red (of course) Prius (with a starting bid of $25,500.

An elegant dinner was served, and guests covered the dance floor amid a sea of red ball gowns.

Southwest College and The Sage Foundation provide essential health services for children at the Hamilton Elementary School Clinic, women at Sojourner Center, men and women coping with substance abuse at Arizona Pathways and Royal Assisted Living Center, and individuals of all backgrounds fighting to overcome the life constraints of living with HIV at Body Positive.  Free primary care is provided to individuals at Mission of Mercy, Guadalupe Family Health Center, and the Native American Community Health Center, Inc.

While The Sage Foundation supports and improves the health of thousands each year, there is much more that needs to be done. The desire is to expand services to existing and new locations. Additional services would include nutrition classes and medical care for people with diabetes (a growing epidemic) and there are many more that need primary medical care. 

Originally through Gift of Life, children were identified with cardiac-related or similar health problems in their home countries and were flown to the United States where a volunteer team of medical professionals would perform the necessary life-saving surgery. In the 30 years that Gift of Life has been growing worldwide, affiliate hospitals, medical centers, and health professionals have been established in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, reducing the need for extensive travel for the children and their families. To date, the generous benefactors and volunteers at Gift of Life have saved the lives of more than 9,000 children.

About Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine

Located in Tempe, Ariz., and founded in 1993, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences is an accredited higher learning institution. It offers a four-year medical program that trains students to become primary care physicians. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the body’s innate ability to self-heal. It draws on a rich history of natural, nontoxic therapies in combination with current medical advances. The scope of practice includes all aspects of family and primary care using integrative modalities such as acupuncture, homeopathy, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, manipulation, and pharmacology.

About Sage Foundation for Health

The Sage Foundation for Health was created in 2002 through Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Its mission is to provide the unserved, underserved and indigent people of Arizona with quality natural healthcare. The first grant received by the Sage Foundation for Health was from the Victoria Lund Foundation and it enabled SCNM to fund a Children’s Clinic at Arthur M. Hamilton Elementary School in South Phoenix. 

For more information, contact Kerri Weiss at 480-222-9224 or visit www.scnm.edu.